On Wednesday, April 6, 2011, ARMY DAY, The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey hosted an extraordinary guest lecturer, Colonel (Ret.) Jack Jacobs, a Medal of Honor recipient, gave a very interesting and often humorous lecture. COL Jacobs spoke about Service and allocation of resources. What was most interesting was that this extraordinary man did not expound on his exploits. On the contrary, the very modest and often self-deprecating Jacobs spoke of being embarrassed by being singled out. COL Jacobs asserted that he, “…did not do anything that anyone else would have done in the same circumstances…”
It is at this assertion that I take issue with this extraordinary man. Then Lieutenant Jacobs, after receiving a terrible head wound from an enemy mortar, repeatedly crossed open rice paddies to retrieve wounded soldiers to a position of relative safety. COL Jacobs added, “…There was no one else…” “…They were my friends…”
I served in Viet Nam. I knew many Lieutenants. Most of the Lieutenants I knew, would never have helped anyone else, much less been in a position to have been wounded. They would NEVER leave a position of safety and go into harms way to save anyone, except themselves. Most of the junior officers I knew were in ‘rear area’ positions of safety and only to pad their résumé for their future aspirations.
I knew a few officers who I would gladly go into harms way for, because they would put themselves in harms way for their men. That is what makes them exceptional. That is what makes them extraordinary.
Surviving Medal of Honor recipients attend the Marine Corp Law Enforcement Foundation Gala, in Atlantic City. Several recipients came to our VFW Post, in Absecon, for a private, BBQ party, for hot dogs, hamburgers, salads and, of course, shuffle board and eight ball.
These are not extraordinary men because they were awarded the Medal of Honor. They are Medal of Honor recipients, because they are extraordinary men.
• Van T. Barfoot: During WWII, Tech.Sergeant Barfoot was in Carano, Italy. While his platoon was heavily engaged against an entrenched enemy force, he moved off alone to the enemy flank. He engaged and eliminated enemy machine gun positions and enemy tanks and captured enemy soldiers, even after being seriously wounded.
• Jon R. Cavaiani: Army Special Forces (Green Beret), Staff Sergeant, Cavaiani was the leader of a team providing security for a remote, radio relay site. On the morning of June 4, 1971, the entire site came under an intense barrage of enemy small arms, RPG and mortars. SSG Cavaiani returned heavy suppressive fire, while directing the site's defenses. When it was apparent that the site was going to be overrun, SSG Cavaiani not only directed the helicopter into the LZ, but he remained on the ground and held off the enemy and covered the evacuation of his team. He was subsequently captured and became a POW.
• Robert E. O'Malley: O’Malley was a Marine Corp Corporal in Viet Nam. While leading a squad on patrol, his entire unit came under intense enemy fire. CPL O'Malley raced across an open rice paddy. Jumping into a trench, he attacked the VC with his rifle and grenades, killing eight of the enemy. He then led his squad to reinforce an adjacent unit, which had suffered heavy losses. Pressing the fight, he personally assisted the evacuation of fallen Marines. He again regrouped the remaining members of his squad, he returned to the point of the heaviest fighting. Ordered by an officer to evacuate his badly wounded squad to an evacuation point, he led them under fire to a helicopter. Although having been wounded three times during this engagement, CPL O'Malley refused evacuation and continued to return fire at the enemy, until his wounded men had been evacuated.
• James E. Livingston: Captain Livingston commanded a Marine Company against the heavily fortified village of Dai Do, Viet Nam. The village had been seized by the enemy, cutting off and isolating another Marine Company. During the attack, Captain Livingston was wounded twice as he maneuvered from one position to another. Refusing medical treatment, he led his men in the destruction of over 100 enemy bunkers, driving off the remaining enemy and relieving the stranded Marine Company. The remaining members of the two companies were joined by a third company, launching an assault on the adjacent village of Dinh To, only to be halted by heavy enemy fire. Captain Livingston, having been wounded a third time, maneuvered his men to halt the enemy counterattack. Subsequently, he supervised the evacuation of his men, before allowing himself to be evacuated.
• Walter Joseph (Joe) Marm, Jr.: Lieutenant Marm was a member of the 1st Cavalry (Airmobile). During the operation, which was depicted in the movie WE WERE SOLDIERS, LT Marm was a platoon leader, moving through the valley, to relieve the surrounded battalion. LT Marm's platoon came under heavy enemy fire and quickly became fully engaged with a superior enemy force. He spotted four VC moving into position to inflict heave losses to his men. LT Marm moved quickly under fire and annihilated all four VC. Then, seeing his platoon receiving intense fire from a concealed enemy machine gun, he deliberately exposed his position to draw its fire and exposing the position of the machine gun. He attempted to destroy the machine gun position with a LAW, but he did not silence the gun. He then charged 30 meters, across open ground and silenced the enemy position with grenades. Although wounded, he again charged the position with his rifle and killed the remainder of the eight enemy soldiers.
• Brian M. Thacker: First Lieutenant Thacker was a field artillery battery, integrated team leader, with ARVN soldiers, at a fire base, in Kontum Province. A numerically superior NVA force launched a dawn attack on the small, isolated, hill top, fire base. Employing RPGs, flame throwers, grenades and small arms, the NVA penetrated the perimeter defenses and engaged the defenders hand to hand. Throughout the morning and afternoon, 1LT Thacker rallied his American and ARVN defenders, to repulse the NVA advances. 1LT Thacker occupied dangerously exposed ground for over four hours, directing friendly air strikes and artillery fire against the assaulting enemy. By late afternoon, the situation had become untenable. 1LT Thacker organized and directed the extraction of the remaining friendly forces. 1LT Thacker remained inside the perimeter to provide covering fire, with his M-16 rifle, until all friendly forces had been extracted. 1LT Thacker then called for artillery fire on his own position, to inflict greater casualties on the enemy. Although wounded and unable to escape from the area, he successfully eluded the NVA for eight days, until friendly forces regained control of the fire base.
It's OK. You can say it. !!! WOW !!!
Bob Ford
Senior Vice Commander
VFW Post 9462
Absecon, New Jersey
